107 irrigation projects in Maharashtra get go-ahead

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The state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre to provide financial assistance for 107 irrigation projects, which had received various approvals but was pending. Fadnavis and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi yesterday to finalise the intricacies.

The 107 projects include Tembhu lift irrigation, Shelgaon Barrage, Urmodi, Lendi irrigation among others, while the eight projects are in Sangali, Satara and Jalgaon.

More than two years after getting the proposal, the Centre on Tuesday agreed to give Rs 2,500 crore -- 25% of the Rs10,000 crore – over the next two years for irrigation projects in 14 suicide-hit and 8 drought-prone areas in Maharashtra.

The state had submitted a list of 107 micro-irrigation projects for the 14 districts that would cost Rs 7,200 crore and demanded 60% funding from the Centre. The state said completion of these projects would help reduce the number of suicides.

The government had proposed 87 projects for drought-prone talukas, at an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 crore. As the Centre expressed inability to fund the project and suggested the state identify projects in dark zone, the state revised the list and proposed eight projects with an estimated cost of Rs3,500 crore.

Fadnavis said Jaitley has given approval to the project and will help the state government to complete the projects. “Suicide-hit and drought-prone areas of Marathwada and parts of north and western Maharashtra will benefit from it,” Fadnavis said, after the meeting in Delhi.

“Jaitley has given approval to 86 projects, with estimated cost of Rs 6,000 crore, and in-principle nod for other projects with costing Rs 4000 crore. The Centre has also allowed us to raise 75% of the cost as loan from Nabard,” water resources minister Girish Mahajan told HT.

As the estimated cost of the projects proposed is much more than the budgetary allocation, the government proposed them to bring them outside the state budget. Mahajan said this would help complete the projects in the next three years. Eighty of them will be completed in one year once the loan is approved.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari today discussed various irrigation and road projects in the state and the allocation of Central funds for these initiatives. “Release of Central assistance for Gosikhurd National and other 25 projects, status of PMKSY projects in Maharashtra and their fast tracking were discussed,” Fadnavis said after two meetings with the union minister. “Due to these 26 projects, around five lakh hectares land will come under irrigation. I thank Gadkari ji for the unprecedented allocation of a large chunk of Central funds,” Fadnavis said.

Jaitleyji has given approval to 86 projects, with estimated cost of Rs 6,000 crore, and in-principle nod for other projects with costing Rs 4000 crore. The Centre has also allowed us to raise 75% of the cost as loan from Nabard,” water resources minister Girish Mahajan told HT.

As the estimated cost of the projects proposed is much more than the budgetary allocation, the government proposed them to bring them outside the state budget. Mahajan said this would help complete the projects in the next three years. Eighty of them will be completed in one year once the loan is approved.